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By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff

TORONTO — Shane Victorino was on the field for optional early batting practice Thursday. The plan is for him to take full BP on the field before the game. It would seem he's making progress with his back injury.

It would be a surprise at this point if Victorino isn't in the lineup Friday against Texas.

Meanwhile, in Reading Thursday afternoon, Daniel Bard had a rough ninth inning for Double A Portland.

He inherited a 7-3 lead and walked the first batter. A wild pitch moved that runner to second. Bard got a strikeout before throwing another wild pitch. He was then taken out of the game after a four-pitch walk.

In all, Bard threw 15 pitches, four of them strikes.

In two outings for Portland since Bard was optioned there, he has walked three, thrown three wild pitches, and thrown strikes on 13 of 33 pitches.

If you go back to his last outing with the Red Sox, Bard has walked five of the last 10 batters he has faced.